The new cultivar is a product of chance discovery by the inventor, Michael Farrow. This new variety, hereinafter referred to as ‘MFARSS’, was discovered as a single branch, naturally occurring mutation of Rhododendron ‘Farrow’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 22,209. The new variety was selected by the inventor during 2010 at a commercial nursery in Warwick, Md.
After identifying the new variety as a potentially interesting selection, the inventor first propagated the new variety by softwood cuttings at the same commercial nursery in Warwick, Md. The inventor continued controlled testing and propagation, assessing stability of the unique characteristics of this variety. At least three generations have been reproduced and have shown that the unique features of this cultivar are stable and reproduced true to type.